6 Day Birding Itinerary – leaving from QENP

Day 1: Bird to Bwindi

After breakfast with your packed lunch, bird en-route to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and arriving in the late afternoon. If traveling from Queen Elizabeth National Park, look out for species like Raptors, Bee-eaters, Kingfishers, Barbets, Tinkerbirds, Woodpeckers, Apalises, Honeyguides, Greenbuls, Swallows, Larks, Cisticolas, Pipits, Chats, Shrikes, Starlings, Widowbirds and many more. Dinner and overnight at one of the lodges in Buhoma.

Day 2: Bwindi Impenetrable National Park-Buhoma-Ivi trail

After an early breakfast, we find that Bwindi Impenetrable Forest doesn’t quite live up to its name as we enter it looking out for species like Black Bee-Eater, Tinkerbirds and Barbets, Woodpeckers, African Broadbill, Greenbuls, White-bellied Robin-Chat, Red-throated Alethe, Chapin’s Flycatcher, Red-faced Woodland Warbler, Grauer’s Warbler,Mountain Masked Apalis, Bocage’s Bush-shrike, Luhder’s Bush-shrike, Pink-footed Puffback, Petit’s Cuckooshrike, Starlings, Sunbirds, Black-billed Weaver, Brown-capped weaver, among others. Dinner and overnight as before.

Day 6: Bird to Kisoro

After breakfast, bird to Kisoro via Echuya forest and the remaining stretch of papyrus swamp to look for the Papyrus Yellow Warbler and Papyrus Canary if we are lucky, as well as Carruther's Cisticola, Little Rush Warbler and Fawn-breasted Waxbill among other birds.

4 Day General Itinerary

Day 1 – Travel to Bwindi

Set off early for Bwindi Impenetrable National Park, stopping in Kabale town for lunch. Stay at one of the lodging options in Buhoma, Ruhija or Nkuringo depending on which gorilla group you have arranged to track. Spend the cool Bwindi evening sat around your lodge’s cozy fireplace.

Day 2: Gorilla Tracking

After a briefing from your ranger guide, begin tracking the mountain gorillas through the ancient Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. This can take a couple of hours or a whole day depending on the location of the apes. Keep an eye out for forest species such as buffaloes, elephants, black fronted duikers and bushbucks. After a well-earned lunch back at your accommodation, rest your tired legs and enjoy a view of the forested hillside, or take a restorative massage, offered in many of the lodges.

Day 3: Village Walks and Cultural Performances

Discover the communities that live side by side with the gorillas on a village walk – there are various options in Buhoma, Nkuringo, Rubuguri and Nyundo. Activities include meeting traditional healers, visiting authentic homesteads, watching the local blacksmith at work and learning skills such as basket weaving and millet grinding. There are also cultural performances by Kiga and Batwa communities and a group of orphans. These tours benefit the communities and the environment!

Day 4: Waterfall Hike

If staying in Buhoma, take hike through the forest to Munyanga Waterfall. For those staying south of the park, take the 3-4 hour walk from Nkuringo all the way across the impenetrable forest to Buhoma, where your vehicle will meet you with your luggage. From here you can enjoy more cultural activities, or proceed north to Queen Elizabeth National Park.

Stout walking boots or shoes, wet weather gear and warm layers. Water bottle, lunch/snacks. If you choose to bring a camera, be aware that the dark-haired gorillas in typically dim conditions present challenging subjects!

Latest Additions

Mgahinga National Park in Western Uganda is a major tourist attraction. This year the park is treating tourists to a captivating experience of tracking mountain gorillas in the wild and picturesque landscape.

"My Friend Max" is a documentary about the wild chimpanzees of Kibale Forest in Uganda . They are under threat by poachers. Some, like Max, have lost hands and feet to snares. We follow the local people trying to save them and their precious rainforest. Featuring Dr. Jane Goodall.

This music video celebrates the wildlife of Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable National Park – and highlights the links between the park and local communities.
Released to coincide with World Wildlife Day on 3 March, 'Imagine Bwindi' is by Ugandan musician Richard Kawesa.
The music video is part of a communications programme developed by the NGO PCI Media Impact in partnership with the Uganda Poverty and Conservation Learning Group (U-PCLG) to celebrate the beauty and natural resources of Bwindi Impenetrable National Park and its links with the surrounding Batwa communities.

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